Nutrition and Food Science Grad Students
Meet Our Students
Alejandro Peña
Alejandro Peña is a master’s student in agriculture with an emphasis in food science and technology. His research focuses on the upcycling and revalorization of orange pomace, specifically how it can be enzymatically treated and hydrolyzed. Once treated, the orange pomace will be used to brew kombucha, where the physicochemical and sensory properties of the final product will be evaluated. Before receiving his bachelor’s degree in film from Arizona State University, Alejandro studied culinary arts at Los Angeles Mission College.
Bertina Sung
Bertina Sung is a graduate student pursuing a master's degree in agriculture with an emphasis in nutrition science. Her research focuses on nutrition misinformation among cancer survivors and the impact of nutrition education on dietary habits. She aims to become a dietitian and currently works teaching elementary school students how to cook, as well as serving as an activity coordinator for patients with dementia.
Elizabeth Alcarraz
Elizabeth Alcarraz is a master’s student in food science and technology, where her research focuses on developing a plant-based snack bar using bioprocessing approaches to improve non-heme iron bioavailability. Her work explores how ingredients and formulation choices can help the body absorb iron more effectively, accounting for real-world eating habits and access to nutritious foods. She holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of California, Riverside.
Evelyn Gurrola
Evelyn Gurrola ('22, nutrition) is a master’s student in nutrition. Her research focuses on addressing food insecurity among college students through food literacy and pantry-support interventions. Her project examines the impact of recipe-based educational materials and cooking instruction on students’ use of the Poly Pantry, cooking skills, and confidence in meal preparation. Evelyn aspires to become a registered dietitian after completing her master’s degree.
Jiselle Le
Jiselle Le is a master’s student in nutrition whose research centers on understanding how carotenoid intake varies between common dietary patterns in adults. Her research uses 24-hour dietary recalls to compare carotenoid intake across different diets and determine whether certain eating patterns should place greater emphasis on its consumption. Jiselle earned her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition Science at Cal Poly Pomona and is particularly interested in diet quality, dietary assessment methods, and functional foods.
Jocelyne Argueta
Jocelyne Argueta is a master’s student in food science and technology, where her research focuses on stabilizing lutein in oil-in-water nanoemulsions and spray-dried powders as a natural alternative to synthetic food colorants. Her work compares electrostatic deposition and Maillard conjugation as protein–polysaccharide–based techniques to improve carotenoid stability under environmental and processing conditions. Jocelyne received her bachelor’s degree in food science and administration from Cal State Northridge and has worked as a food scientist for several companies in the food industry.
Lila Semhat
Lila Semhat is a master’s student in nutrition and food science. Her academic work focuses on the relationship between dietary patterns and metabolic health. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from Cal Poly Pomona and is currently completing a supervised dietetic internship, applying evidence-based nutrition knowledge to assess patients and develop appropriate nutrition interventions in clinical settings. Her graduate project examines the effects of the Mediterranean diet on individuals with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, providing an in-depth exploration of the diet’s core principles and the complex pathophysiology of metabolic disease.
Lindsey Zluticky
Lindsey Zluticky is a master’s student in nutrition and food science and a dietetic intern, where her research focuses on postprandial glycemic responses, satiety, and the acute metabolic effects of whole foods, with a current emphasis on almond consumption. She also earned her bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from Cal Poly Pomona and has worked as a dietary aide and student assistant while pursuing her goal of becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist.
Tony Wei
Tony Wei (’05, food science and technology) is returning to campus to pursue a master’s degree. Building on his food industry experience and commitment to food safety, Tony will be leading a project focused on designing, delivering, and documenting a community-based food safety training program in collaboration with CPP’s Community Innovation Hub. This initiative will align with ServSafe Food Manager standards and aims to enhance food safety knowledge and practices across local organizations and food service facilities.
Zhongqin Shi
Zhongqin Shi is a graduate student in food science. Her research focuses on improving pea protein flour through solid-state fermentation and extrusion processing. Her work examines how these processing strategies influence key functional properties, nutritional composition, and flavor development, with the goal of enhancing the quality and application potential of plant-based protein ingredients. By integrating processing, compositional analysis, and aroma-relevant volatile compounds characterization, aims to better understand the relationships between processing conditions and ingredient performance for food product development. Zhongqin earned a bachelor’s degree in food science and technology from Oregon State University.